Haley, husband reporter $284K in earnings

COLUMBIA — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and her husband earned $284,226 in her second year as the state’s CEO, with $175,000 of that as the remaining advance on her memoir, according to 2012 tax returns she allowed reporters to view this week.

The first couple paid more than $31,700 in taxes — $26,297 in federal and $5,408 in state. They were due a federal refund of $6,266 but chose instead to apply the amount toward what they’ll owe in 2013.

In 2011, the Haleys earned $367,000 in combined income, with $200,000 of that as the initial advance from her book, “Can’t is Not an Option,” released in April 2012.

The tax forms show the couple earned a combined $170,912 in 2012 from her job as governor and his with the South Carolina National Guard. By law, the governor makes just over $106,000.

Her book made a reported profit of less than $110,000 last year, after subtracting expenses. That included $60,750 in “legal and professional services” and $4,870 for travel. Her spokesman, Rob Godfrey, did not immediately detail what those amounts covered.

The couple gave $130,000 to charity, a huge leap from the $2,460 in charitable deductions reported in 2011.

Godfrey said $10,000 of that amount went to Mount Horeb United Methodist Church and the rest went to her community aid foundation, the Original Six. The foundation is named for her family. Her parents and siblings referred to themselves as the “original six” as the only Indian-American family in tiny Bamberg, where she grew up.

“A passion of the governor’s from the beginning was to make a difference in rural South Carolina. The Original Six is doing that, and we couldn’t be more proud,” Godfrey said.

Haley announced in December 2011 that she would use all profits on the book to set up the nonprofit to help the state’s poorest counties. She paid more than $84,000 owed in taxes for 2011 from the first advance. Since the foundation’s launch, the nonprofit has held six events.

The viewing of Haley’s tax returns in her office came two weeks after her likely Democratic opponent in 2014, state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, released three years of tax returns.

Sheheen’s total income last year was $224,920, while his taxable income was $198,218. He made about $85,000 more in 2011, and $39,000 less in 2010, according to copies of his state and federal tax returns provided to reporters.

There was a difference of just $2,000 between the Haleys’ total and adjusted gross income of $282,216 in 2012.

Sheheen paid a combined $40,843 in state and federal taxes in 2010, $78,251 in taxes in 2011, and $53,109 in 2012. The three years of tax returns Sheheen released to the media were in addition to the 10 years he released during his 2010 gubernatorial race.

A rematch between Haley and Sheheen is widely expected in 2014, though Haley has not officially announced she’ll seek a second term

The tax return releases of both Haley, a former House member, and Sheheen cover their years in office and initial election year.

While Sheheen gave copies of his returns to reporters, Haley has never allowed copies to be made or removed from her office.